NEW YORK — It had to come here in the Bronx, in front of the fans who have celebrated in his greatest triumphs, shared in the magic he has created, walked with him for every step of the journey.

It had to come at Yankee Stadium, in front of those who demanded perfection, those who booed him when he fell short, those who have stood by him despite his flaws.

Derek Jeter talks about his 3,000th hit at postgame press conferenceDerek Jeter talks about his 3,000th hit, a third-inning home run, after the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays. He reflects on the day and his career as a Yankee. He became the first Yankee to get 3,000 hits in a Yankee uniform. He went on to go 5-for-5 and had the game-winning hit in the eighth inning. (Video by William Perlman/The Star-Ledger)

“I just think of only one person that can have a day like today, the timing, at home,” teammate Alex Rodriguez said. “And it’s Derek Jeter.”

This day had to be grand, to live up to an impossible standard, to unfold as if it were scripted in a fairy tale. And it started with Jeter wanting to please the fans by making history at home, a wish that brought him immense pressure.

“I thought eventually I would get a few hits,” Jeter said. “But I felt a lot of pressure to do it here while we’re at home. So, I have been lying to you for quite some time.”

It was Jeter who once dove head-long into the third-base stands and emerged with a bloody face. It was Jeter who once sent a shallow fly ball into right field that the outstretched arm of a fan turned into an iconic home run. It was Jeter who once implored the fans to help him bring the memories from the old stadium to the new.

“I’ve grown up with these fans,” said Jeter, who rewarded them by being part of a dynasty. “They’ve seen me since I was 20 years old.”

Jeter arrived for work as he would on most every other day. He sipped cappuccino from a Starbucks cup, dressed himself for batting practice, and honed his swing in the cage with everybody else. A half-dozen camera crews tracked his every move.

He masked the burden he carried by going through the routine of his day, though the anxiety remained.

Nothing about this day was normal.

With two hits separating Jeter from history, and with only two more games to achieve it before the All-Star Game, fans flocked to the Stadium hoping for history. Hours before first pitch, a line to the ticket windows stretched down E. 161st Street, filled with fans hoping to snag the few remaining tickets left.

Those who got in were not disappointed.

Jeter moved to the brink of history in the first inning by pulling a David Price pitch through the hole into left field for a single.

With one hit to go in the third inning, the throng waited on every pitch, exploding each time Jeter made contact. From the on-deck circle, Curtis Granderson watched the crowd rise to its feet. They chanted “Derek Jeter,” and for the first time since he’s been a Yankee, Granderson said they did it in unison.

“That was the coolest part,” he said.

As they did on Thursday, fans screamed until the moment the pitcher let go of the ball, allowing the cavernous stadium to fall into silence. The crack of Jeter’s bat broke the calm.

Price’s 3-2 curveball cleared the fence at exactly 2 p.m.

Jeter touched home plate, where an emotional Jorge Posada wrapped his arms around his best friend. He moved to the front of the Yankees dugout and raised his arms. He acknowledged his family, sitting in a luxury suite overlooking first base, where most believed he would stand after hit No. 3,000. He gestured toward the Rays, a nod for their patience during a 4-minute stoppage of the game.

Then he indulged the Yankee Stadium crowd with a curtain call, in a moment that could happen in only one place, in a scene that could be written by only one man.

“Yankee fans have always been great,” said Jeter, the first career Yankee to 3,000 hits. “They appreciate the history of the sport, and the history of the organization. The thing that means the most to me is that I’ve been able to get all these hits in a Yankee uniform.”